1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of cleaning systems, and in particular to a system comprised of a sealed enclosure having a transparent door such that a pair of magnetically coupled pucks enables an operator to move and direct a flow of cleaning fluid to clean objects located within the enclosure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is an increasing concern with regard to the effects of hazardous materials on the environment. So one needs to be concerned any time potentially hazardous materials are being used in any process. That includes materials which may be hazardous to humans or other animals or to the environment.
There is a trend and value in current manufacturing operations to remove any chemical exposure and loss and waste during manufacturing operations. One area in particular: cleaning of electronics assemblies and tools used in electronics assemblies is the focus of concern. Many systems used for cleaning contain solvents such as alcohol, or other cleaning agents and these fluids often become contaminated with the materials they are used to clean such as solder paste. There is a need to keep operators separate from these cleaning materials, during the cleaning process, and also, there is a need to keep the cleaning materials confined as much as possible, so that they do not become a vapor in the manufacturing operation, where they can be breathed by humans, or where they can make contact with people.
Most such cleaning systems involve closed automatic spray operations that are inefficient because they apply aggressive cleaning action to entire areas even if the objects to be cleaned are only small, or if the areas to be cleaned are confined to a small area. Other systems involve placing objects in tanks with open covers, which enable operators to spray and view the contaminated objects, however, because these systems are generally vertical tanks to contain the cleaning fluid and draining fluid, the visibility is limited by looking down vertically. This does not offer an desirable arrangement for operators, because the tanks are large and the operators often have to stand on step stools and look into the tank. While these systems offer more efficiency by allowing spot cleaning, they are still not optimal. They also allow the operators to be exposed to the chemicals being used and cleaned.